Comparative Analysis of Rain Water Quality in Makurdi Metropolis

Abstract

Introduction/Background- Rainwater is the purest form of naturally occurring water. It is considered to be produced through natural distillation. However, it contained dissolved gases such as carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ammonia, fine particulate materials or aerosols, etc from the atmosphere WHO (2011). Aim/Objectives- Physicochemical, heavy metals and microbiological parameters were analyzed. Sampling was done for three consecutive months (June, July and August, 2024). Methodology-Standard methods as prescribed by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) were adopted for the research analysis. Research Findings-The results revealed the mean values for temperature,  pH, turbidity, conductivity, total hardness, TDS, SS, Colour, SO₄^2-, PO₄^3-,  and NO₃^-  ranged between 21.0 to 24.1^oC, 6.0 to 6.10.57 to 4.39 (NTU), 3 to 6 (µS/cm), 20 to 24 (mg/L), 0.2 to 1.0 (mg/L), 0 to 58 mg/L, 104 to 124 (mg/L), 7 to 8 (mg/L), 0.28 to 0.7 mg/L, and 2.1 to 2.9 (mg/L) respectively. Similarly, 2.5 to 3.2 (mg/L), 0.2 to 0.4 (mg/L), 0.4 to 0.8 (mg/L) and 108 to 159 (FTU) were observed as the mean values for DO, BOD, COD, and Chloride, respectively. The results also revealed low values of heavy metal levels in the rainwater with values ranging between 0.182 to 0.426 (mg/L), 0.009 to 0.01 (mg/L), 0.001 to 0.002 (mg/L), 0.008 to 0.011 (mg/L) and 0.018 to 0.376 (mg/L) for Zn, Cd, Al and Fe, respectively. Ni, and total coliform were not detected in all the samples. Conclusion/Recommendation-The results of the analysis revealed that water quality parameters for the rainwater samples were within the permissible limit prescribed by WHO and NAFDAC, except for Fe and pH therefore recommended for domestic usage. Further research should be carried out on seasonal variation in the quality of rainwater in the study area.